MBA Admissions Tip: Dealing with a Low GPA

Explaining a low GPA can be difficult and it requires you to examine your GPA’s trend. Consider the following scenarios:

Scenario A – 3.0 GPA, upward trend – You goofed off for your first few semesters and didn’t weigh the consequences. You failed some classes and started out with an embarrassingly low GPA not because of lack of ability, but because of immaturity. Mid-sophomore year you wised up and continuously hit above the 3.8 mark for the rest of your undergraduate career.

Scenario B – 3.0 GPA, downward trend – Your college experience started out with a motivated streak of genius—three solid 4.0 semesters in a row. But then…things took a turn towards apathy and laziness and your grades began to suffer significantly.

Scenario C – 3.0 GPA, static – You work hard, but not too hard. You take some classes seriously, and some not so much. You never really cared about school or grades to really put the effort in. A few years out of school and a life-changing career move have motivated you to new heights and you want to apply to b-school. But now you need to deal with a less-than-impressive record.

Let’s interpret each of these scenarios:

The student in Scenario A doesn’t really have too much to worry about (unless he’s applying to a top MBA program for which a 3.0 GPA is unacceptable). Many students early in their college careers have a couple of bad semesters because of immaturity. Your grades went up, proving your capabilities and your increased maturity.

Scenario B’s student is in a bit more of a bind. She’s proved her abilities by acing those first few semesters, but why the dramatic downturn? Did things get too difficult for her? Does she have trouble performing under pressure? Or does she just not care about improving and perfecting her academic capabilities?

The problem of mediocrity looms over Scenario C’s student. This student will need to prove his skill level if he wants to be considered for a spot in the next MBA class.

Let’s analyze a recovery plan for each of our students:

Student A doesn’t need to prove ability as much as motivation and seriousness, which he may have already proven with his last few years of work. He may want to ask one of his recommenders to vouch for his maturity and steadfastness. A high GMAT score will help.

Student B will need to enroll in some college courses to prove her verbal and/or quantitative abilities (especially if her GMAT scores weren’t so great). She’ll want to make sure her essays express her newfound motivation as well as her keen writing abilities. Her essays should include clear anecdotes that illustrate how she’s matured since her last few semesters and how her skills should be judged based on recent work experience, rather than past college experience.

Student C is in a similar boat as Student B. He’ll want to retake some of his math and English courses and he’ll want to get solid A’s this time. B’s and C’s just won’t cut it if he wants to prove he’s b-school material. Strong essays and letters of recommendation will also boost Student C’s chances of acceptance.

Of course many of you will not be like Students A, B, or C. Your grade dive may have resulted from illness or family crisis or circumstances beyond your control. Or perhaps steady, mediocre grades resulted from your working 20-30 hours per week to support yourself through school. There are many other scenarios too. The key is to prove that today you have the ability to excel in your target MBA programs and that the circumstances that contributed to the poor marks in college no longer affect you.

Moral of the story: A single low number can be explained or put in a less damaging context with hard work and a solid application strategy.